Travis Kelce was asked about his retirement plans. This was his answer
Travis Kelce isn't ready to leave the NFL behind and ride off into the sunset with Taylor Swift just yet.
The 34-year-old All-Pro tight end responded to questions about him retiring anytime soon ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs' playoff showdown against the visiting Miami Dolphins on Jan. 13.
“I have no reason to stop playing football,” he told reporters at a press conference on Jan. 11. “I love it. We still have success, come in with the right mindset. I just love the challenge that it gives me every single day to try to be my best. Like I said, I have no desire to stop anytime soon.”
It’s a fair question considering Kelce’s fame has grown exponentially to transcend the NFL thanks to a series of commercials, a popular podcast with his brother, appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” and, of course, his relationship with one of the biggest stars in the world.
Kelce is in the discussion as the greatest tight end in NFL history. He is still going strong in his 11th season after finishing the regular season with a team-high 93 catches for 984 yards and five touchdowns for the defending Super Bowl champions.
He has at least contemplated what may be next.
“You guys think about retirement?" he joked with reporters. "Am I the only one in this boat? Is anybody else in this thing? Whoever’s not thinking about stuff down the road, I blame you.”
He was asked at the press conference what he would consider doing if he did retire.
"That’s the point of the offseason, being able to get out there and really find what you love to do," he said. "I’ve been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I’ve been enjoying doing, like getting on camera.
"The ‘SNL’ stuff kind of opened up a new happiness and maybe a new career path for me. It’s funny for me to even say that at this point in my career. It’s so much further down the road than it is right now."
The business at hand is beating Miami, because a loss means the season is over and Kansas City won't get a chance to defend its Super Bowl title. It's part of an opening weekend of the NFL postseason featuring 12 teams in action, while the top two seeds (Baltimore and San Francisco) have byes.
It's not clear yet if Swift will be at Arrowhead Stadium for her latest game cheering on Kelce, but she better dress warm if she goes. The projected subzero temperature for the game could make for the coldest home playoff game in Kansas City history.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
